God of the dispatcher who hears screams of terror from under bloodied desks.

God of the first responder who
bravely creeps through ravaged hallways.

God of the doctor who treats the
wounded.

God of the rabbi, pastor, imam or priest who seeks words of comfort but comes up empty.

God of the young boy who sees his
classmates die in front of him.

God of the weeping, raging,
inconsolable mother who screams at the sight of her child’s lifeless body .

God of the shattered communities
torn apart by senseless violence.

God of the legislators paralyzed
by fear, partisanship, money and undue influence.

God of the Right.

God of the Left.

God who hears our prayers.

God who does not answer.

On this tragic day when we
confront the aftermath of the 18th School shooting in our nation on the 46th
day of this year, I do not feel like praying.

Our prayers have not stopped the
bullets.

Our prayers have changed nothing.

Once again, a disturbed man with
easy access to guns has squinted through the sights of a weapon,
aimed, squeezed a trigger and taken out his depraved anger, pain and
frustration on innocents: pure souls.
Students and teachers. Brothers and sisters. Mothers and fathers- cut down in
an instant by the power of hatred and technology.

We are guilty, O God.

We are guilty of inaction.

We are guilty of complacency.

We are guilty of allowing
ourselves to be paralyzed by politics.

The blood of our children cries
out from the ground.

The blood of police officers cut
down in the line of duty flows through our streets.

I do not appeal to You on this
terrible morning to change us. We can only do that ourselves.

Our enemies do not come only from
far away places.

The monsters we fear live among
us.

May those in this room who have
the power to to make change find the courage to seek a pathway to sanity and
hope.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

One of the Divine
names that we frequently encounter in Rabbinic and Liturgical writing is Shomer Yisrael - “Protector of Israel.” Envisioning God as a protecting shield brings
us a sense of comfort as we acknowledge the daily challenges of our lives. This is an important aspect of embracing both
our spirituality and tradition. But, as
we know all too well, we cannot rely exclusively on God’s presence to ensure
our safety. We are fortunate that we
live in a Democratic society that has a system of laws along with brave law
enforcement personnel who serve and protect us every day – often risking their
lives in the process.

Over the past
several weeks, the dangers faced by the men and women of law enforcement in the State of Colorado have
come sharply into focus. Three police officers
have died in the line of duty and many others have been wounded. It is hard not to be moved by the outpouring
of grief and support that the families of the dead and wounded have
received. There have been too many flags
flying at half-mast over official offices and residences. It is vitally important that we, as a sacred
community, also take the time to reflect and show our support and appreciation
for law enforcement agencies and personnel.

This Friday night,
at our 6:00 PM Erev Shabbat Service,
we will be paying tribute to the men and women who serve in law
enforcement. I have asked Rabbi Steven
Kaye – a member of our congregation and a long-time Chaplain on the Denver
Police Force – to speak from the pulpit about the holy work that he, his fellow
Chaplains and members of our police force perform on a daily basis. We will offer prayers for their safety and
show our solidarity with those who are mourning and those who work on our
behalf.

Contributions in
memory of Deputy Zack Parrish can be made to the Douglas
County Fallen Officer Fund for Deputy Parrish’s family.Checks should include his name Zack Parrish.http://www.dcsheriff.net/fallen-officer- fund/

Note that the Colorado Police Officers' Foundation was founded in
1997 and is a charitable corporation that operates under the
501 (c)(3) provisions of the federal tax code. This official
designation granted by the IRS conveys tax-exempt status to the foundation
and specifically allows contributions to be tax deductible.
Your donations qualify for the maximum tax deduction.

Contributions to help Deputy Flick's family should go to
El Paso County Sheriffs Foundation
1980 Dominion Way Ste 200, Colorado Springs, Co 80918

A prayer:

Shomer
Yisrael – Protector of Israel.

Shomer kol
Adam – Protector of All Humanity.

We ask your blessing and protection upon the brave men and
women of law enforcement who risk their lives on a daily basis to enforce the
laws of our nation. We give thanks for
the courage of their convictions. Bless
their holy work. Heal their wounded
hearts. May no more harm come upon them
as they perform the often thankless tasks of ensuring our safety. Guide them as they live out the courage of
their convictions and serve and protect us.
Grant them wisdom, perspective and the fortitude to make difficult
decisions. May their families and loved
ones find comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone in their prayers. Help us all as we work together to bring
peace to a troubled world. And let us
say: AMEN